Canon Andrew White, vicar of St George’s Church in Baghdad, the most dangerous parish in the world, made a return visit to Conerstone Church in Esher on Sunday, July 5.

Canon White, dubbed the Vicar of Baghdad, addressed the congregation at Cornerstone about the uncomfortable truths of daily life in the war-torn Iraqi capital.

Since his last visit to Esher six months ago, his church has grown from a congregation of 1,000 to its current size of over 3,000.

To accommodate this, services are now held on Saturdays and Sundays both inside and outside the church building and there is also a separate Sunday school for 900 children.

When asked how he and his congregation can still rejoice in their faith amid all the oppression the Christian community faces in Iraq, he told the audience at Cornerstone: “Our faith is childlike.

The Bible tells us that God loves us, so we in turn love God and can love our enemies.

“In Iraq, if you are a Christian, you go to church. There is no room to be undecided.”

Cornerstone the Church meets every week in Sandown Park’s Gold Cup Suite, usually at 10.30am and 6pm. There is free parking at Sandown Park.

For more details, visit cornerstonethechurch.com, or call the Church Office on 01372 450045.

• What do you think? Let us know by email here, phone the newsdesk on 020 8330 9555 or leave a comment below.